"Ghost Hand Zhang, the fish has taken the bait."
In the distance, a sedan with its headlights off crept along behind Mu Feng. Inside the car, Master Xu San wore a sinister grin as he spoke to the person on the other end of the line, declaring that everything would proceed according to plan tomorrow and that he would ensure his target's total ruin. With that, he ended the call.
"Damn it, why is it as hot as a steamer in here?"
Mu Feng tugged at his shirt collar, feeling that his back was already soaked through. The entrance to the Antique City auction center was packed with people, crowded like a bustling street market. He glanced at his phone—2:50 PM, ten minutes until the auction Master Xu San had mentioned.
"Mu, over here!"
Zhou Xiaochuan was hopping up and down in the crowd, waving his arms like an excited monkey. Mu Feng pushed his way over and discovered the kid was actually wearing a suit today, though his tie was skewed as crookedly as a dog leash.
"Did you find out?" Mu Feng asked in a low voice.
Zhou Xiaochuan pulled out his phone, acting mysterious. "Master Xu San has really bet the farm this time. He brought in a batch of high-quality replicas from Southeast Asia and specifically hired 'Ghost Hand Zhang' to apply an aged finish." He swiped across the screen. "But the real kicker is this."
On the screen was a blurry photo of a celadon bowl shimmering with a strange luster under the light.
"Tang Dynasty Secret Color Porcelain?" Mu Feng’s brow twitched. "Is it real?"
"Beyond a shadow of a doubt!" Zhou Xiaochuan leaned into his ear. "Word is Master Xu San borrowed it from the black market just to..."
"Just to expose my true colors, right?" Mu Feng sneered. He should have realized sooner that only a national treasure of this caliber could cause his Mystic Pupil ability to spiral out of control.
As soon as he stepped into the auction hall, Mu Feng sensed something wrong. There were at least two hundred people in the room, and among them, a dozen gazes felt like knives stabbing into him. Master Xu San, sitting in the front row, was chatting and laughing with a group of men who looked like business tycoons. When he saw Mu Feng enter, he deliberately raised his voice.
"Oh, look! Our 'appraisal genius' has arrived! Let’s give him a warm welcome!"
Everyone in the room turned in unison, their applause sounding like firecrackers. Mu Feng cursed inwardly; this old fox was clearly setting him up to be burned.
"Mr. Mu, please, this way."
A hostess in a qipao led him to a seat in the front row, right next to Master Xu San. The old man was wearing a traditional Tang-style jacket today, rolling a pair of walnuts in his hands, grinning like a Maitreya Buddha.
"Kid, you've got guts," Master Xu San whispered. "Try not to cry later."
Mu Feng ignored him, his gaze fixed on a display stand covered with a red cloth on the stage. His Mystic Pupil activated automatically, and even through the red cloth, he could see a cyan light leaking out—it was the Secret Color Porcelain!
"Distinguished guests, welcome to this treasure auction..."
The auctioneer began his opening remarks, but Mu Feng didn't hear a word. His temples were throbbing, and his eyes felt as if they were glued to that sliver of cyan light, unable to look away. Even worse, he realized he couldn't control his Mystic Pupil ability; all the antiques in the hall began emitting halos of light that grew brighter and brighter, eventually burning so intensely that tears streamed down his face.
"And now, presenting our first item: a Ming Dynasty blue-and-white plum vase with lotus vine patterns!"
The red cloth was pulled away, and Mu Feng gasped, covering his eyes. To him, the vase looked like a miniature sun, and the light it emitted nearly blinded him.
"Is something wrong, Mr. Mu?" the auctioneer asked with concern.
The entire hall’s attention shifted to him. Mu Feng bit through the sharp pain, lowered his hand, and managed a stiff smile. "Nothing, just my contact lenses acting up."
Master Xu San chuckled maliciously beside him. "Could it be that you’ve spotted something?"
Mu Feng ignored him, but alarm bells were ringing in his head—that old fox had definitely tampered with the Secret Color Porcelain! A normal antique wouldn't cause such a violent reaction from his Mystic Pupil.
Mu Feng forced himself to endure the first few items in silence. It wasn't until the eighth item, a so-called "Song Dynasty Guan kiln sunflower-shaped washer," was brought out that he finally snapped.
"A fake."
The room went dead silent. The auctioneer looked displeased. "Sir, what did you say?"
"I said, it’s a fake," Mu Feng stood up, pointing at the washer. "The inscription on the bottom, 'Great Song Guan Kiln,' looks like it was written by a primary schooler, and the glaze is far too new. They didn't even do a good job with the artificial aging."
Master Xu San's expression shifted, and he slammed his hand on the table. "Bullshit! I paid three million for this!"
"Then you were severely overcharged," Mu Feng sneered. "The cost of this piece is less than three hundred yuan."
The venue exploded. Several men who appeared to be experts went up to examine it and, in the end, awkwardly announced that the item was indeed questionable. Master Xu San’s face turned ghastly, and he glared at Mu Feng with venomous intent.
"Don't be so anxious, Master San. The best is yet to come," Mu Feng said, loud enough for all to hear.
For the next few items, Mu Feng seemed to be unstoppable. He could spot the authenticity at a glance. The most ridiculous one was a "Qing Dynasty jade thumb ring," of which he said, "This thing just came out of a factory in Guangdong last week; it still has the marks from the machine."
The crowd was in an uproar. The shills Master Xu San had brought looked pale; this wasn't an appraisal, it was a sabotage!
"The final item: the Tang Dynasty Secret Color Porcelain lotus bowl!" The auctioneer’s voice was trembling.
The moment the red cloth was removed, Mu Feng felt a "buzz" in his brain—the bowl was like a small cyan sun in his eyes, its light nearly physical, like countless needles piercing his retinas.
"Starting bid: eight million!"
Mu Feng pinched his thigh hard, forcing himself to stay conscious. But the Mystic Pupil was completely out of control. The light on the bowl intensified until it condensed into a line of text before his eyes:
"Secret color revealed, Mystic Pupil awakened; witness the truth, fate unfolds..."
"Mr. Mu? Would you like to come up and take a closer look?" The auctioneer's voice sounded like it was coming from a great distance.
Mu Feng stood up unsteadily and walked toward the stage. Every step deepened the throbbing in his head. By the time he reached the piece, he was drenched as if he had been pulled from water, his shirt soaked through with cold sweat.
"This... this is..." His hand reached toward the porcelain bowl, beyond his control.
Just as his fingertips were about to make contact, a sharp shout rang out from the entrance:
"Don't touch it!"
Mu Feng spun around to see Su Yuqing charging in with two bodyguards. She was wearing a sharp pantsuit today, her hair tied high, looking like a female martial artist.
"Miss Su?" Master Xu San’s face changed dramatically. "What is the meaning of this..."
Su Yuqing ignored him entirely, marched straight to Mu Feng, and grabbed his wrist. "This bowl has been poisoned! Touching it will cause poisoning!"
The room was in chaos. Master Xu San jumped up to argue, but Su Yuqing's bodyguards blocked him.
"Everyone, this piece of Secret Color Porcelain is indeed authentic," Su Yuqing said, sweeping her gaze over the crowd. "But the rim of the bowl has been coated with a special chemical that penetrates through the skin. At best, it causes dizziness; at worst, a coma—Master Xu San, are you trying to kill someone?"
Master Xu San turned ashen. "Non... nonsense!"
"Is it?" Su Yuqing sneered. She took a detector out of her bag and gently scanned the rim of the bowl. The device immediately let out a shrill alarm.
The scene descended into instant mayhem. Some shouted for the police, some were busy taking photos, and many more rushed toward the exits—who knew if any of the other items had been poisoned?